Major CFL Rule Changes: Like or Dislike?

[BeaverFever]

3 hours ago, LinkSoul60 said:

What it means is that the product on field is of the highest quality which means the fan is getting that perceived value.  I'm not at all suggesting CFL players or the product isn't good, it's just not the quality of the NFL.  It's a different game so of course you'll have more passing in the CFL. They have to go the same 10 yards in 2 plays versus 3 (not including 3rd/4th down) and have a bigger field which lends itself to more space to throw the ball.  From my perspective the average 'fan' wants to watch the best possible competition (product) and not who has the most exciting plays. I'd compare these two leagues similarly to how I look at the AHL versus the NHL.  The AHL is top to bottom full of guys who are fantastic hockey players, but most not good enough to make or stay in the NHL. That doesn't you're not going see quality hockey when you watch an AHL game, you're just not going to be watching the best players playing against each other in the best league.

Nostalgia isn't going to keep the CFL viable...more people engaged and paying for the product will.  Advertisers are not going to spend money trying to attract/influence people if small audiences are watching or attending games, and owners are only going to hang on for so long before they cut losses. I think the CFL is doing the right thing in looking for ways to make it a more attractive product for the masses. Otherwise, to keep it the same and not do anything differently would ultimately mean its failure.  

But how would someone in the stands be able to tell they are observing “the best possible product”?  So an evaluation in gymnasium shows that player A can jump 2 inches further than player B in standing long jump. That doesn’t OBJECTIVELY translate to player A being superior to player B. It only means player A is better suited to NFL style of play where height for a receiver matters more than agility and stamina .   NFL lineman are not objectively superior to CFL linemen and most who come north from the NFL can’t hack it without significant weight loss and physical reconditioning. Even players at other positions who come to CFL from NFL call the pace of the CFL game “exhausting” and “ like playing at high altitude” and usually need aerobic training and need to trim down.
 

In summary I think the “superior product” theory is vastly overblown - NFL players are optimized for NFL game and CFL players are optimized for CFL game and unless someone can show me OBJECTIVELY through something like errors and fumbles and the like I don’t think there’s much argument for it.

 

The above said I do sort of accept at face value that players from the Canadian amateur football system are unlikely to be as competitive as those who come from the American system given how big football is in USA and how limited it is here in Canada and that the mandatory Canadian quota and cap on US players probably waters down abilities. I would actually be ok with eliminating the cap. It wouldn’t bother me one bit if a team had 100% American players. That would a far better rule change than the ones they just implemented. 

[LinkSoul60]

5 minutes ago, BeaverFever said:

But how would someone in the stands be able to tell they are observing “the best possible product”?  So an evaluation in gymnasium shows that player A can jump 2 inches further than player B in standing long jump. That doesn’t OBJECTIVELY translate to player A being superior to player B. It only means player A is better suited to NFL style of play where height for a receiver matters more than agility and stamina .   NFL lineman are not objectively superior to CFL linemen and most who come north from the NFL can’t hack it without significant weight loss and physical reconditioning. Even players at other positions who come to CFL from NFL call the pace of the CFL game “exhausting” and “ like playing at high altitude” and usually need aerobic training and need to trim down.
 

In summary I think the “superior product” theory is vastly overblown - NFL players are optimized for NFL game and CFL players are optimized for CFL game and unless someone can show me OBJECTIVELY through something like errors and fumbles and the like I don’t think there’s much argument for it.

 

The above said I do sort of accept at face value that players from the Canadian amateur football system are unlikely to be as competitive as those who come from the American system given how big football is in USA and how limited it is here in Canada and that the mandatory Canadian quota and cap on US players probably waters down abilities. I would actually be ok with eliminating the cap. It wouldn’t bother me one bit if a team had 100% American players. That would a far better rule change than the ones they just implemented. 

They would know because it's known fact the best football players are playing in the NFL because of the larger talent pool they have. Most certainly a CFL player with an average salary of ~$73K would be playing if the NFL if they could make the roster, but the majority can't. I definitely disagree on an NFL not being in the physical condition or have the same agility. If the league was made up of NFL players playing the same CFL game you would see a markedly better product.  Errors, fumbles, drop passes, etc are irrelevant only because it's not an apples to apples comparison if not playing against the same level of competition. 

To each their own...  I've mentioned why I believe the NFL is a vastly better league and you stated the case for the CFL.  We differ there but end of the day we'll still enjoy watching the different leagues regardless.  

Bottom line is that obviously the league needs to do something to change the narrative and get more people, specifically younger people engaged for it to be solvent. I'm not passionate about the league but certainly want to see it survive for the long term.  I don't know what the answer is but if changing the game more to an "NFL style' to engage the younger generation and changing the Canadian quota and US cap why not...it will still be the Canadian Football League and will provide that opportunity for players, enjoyment for fans, and revenue for owners.